Sulfate Share New Single ‘Judgement’ + Announce Tour
Sulfate’s latest single, Judgement is a force to be reckoned with. Clocking in at an unforgiving 8 minutes it begins with manipulated mediation loops giving way to David Harris’ unrelenting snare drum and Zac Arnold’s taut distorted bass.
“I liked the idea of creating a song that sat in discomfort, and which created a feeling of panic and fear that simply doesn’t abate – it is always there, it is inescapable, and it is alluring,” notes Peter Ruddell. “The individual sound of each instrument needed to be abrasive on its own so that when combined it is as if everything is fighting for attention. If something needs to be created, if it is of value and worthy of being brought into the world, it should be created in its full and complete form – without compromise.”
Just as Peter’s steely vocals dissolve into deep voiced commands, Judgement screeches to a halt. Penance for the songs pace up to that point, the noisenik’s channel their doom forebearers and let the feedback flow. That is up to when samples begin relentlessly repeating to the point of disintegration and Ruddell switches to saxophone delivering an avant-garde approach to the instrument.
“The song tries to capture the feeling of being unable to understand what is real and what is not – where all that exists is inescapable panic, confusion and fear. I had in mind that this is how we might feel as we are in our final moments. It’s also about arrogance and overconfidence – how when we are young we feel a sense of certainty in the way of things, but as we age we realise that nothing is certain, that our grasp on reality is incredibly tenuous, and that the only thing we really know is that we know nothing.”
“Judgement is a comment on how little we can ever understand the world. How even if we study the mistakes of our past and try to avoid making them again, the knowledge we gain reflects only a tiny fraction of what we need to make a rational, informed decision – and we are ultimately at the whims of greater, unknowable forces and doomed to repeat the mistakes anyway. The unknown unknowns are simply too many.”
Sulfate have shared details of their Aotearoa tour in support of the new album; visiting centres all around the motu throughout October and November. See tour dates below, with tickets from Undertheradar and Meow.
Pre-Order Flying Nun Black + White Marble Vinyl LP
Pre-Order Holiday Records Red + Black Marble Vinyl LP
Pre-Order / Pre-Save And It Wants
Feral, devolved and running on instinct, the six songs on Sulfate’s third album And It Wants emerge from the grapple between David Harris unleashing on his drum kit, Zac Arnold conjuring fuzz and feedback and Peter Ruddell’s taut, wiry guitar-work and commanding baritone. Written and recorded in New Lynn’s industrial area, this new batch of songs were created on a diet of Cormac McCarthy novels, Adam Curtis documentaries and the madness of gothic horror.
Sonically, Sulfate set out some parameters at the outset of the album recordings – and it was important for things to sound real. The band wanted instruments to be played, and, importantly, sound like they’re being played, by real, living people – a conscious reaction to the modern, online, perfect-existence, social media-ness of it all. Audio engineer Emily Wheatcroft-Snape was recommended to the band because of her ability to capture sounds with accuracy and precision – and she encapsulated the live band just as they had hoped.
“The writing of And It Wants was essentially starting a new band” notes Ruddell. “It was a clean slate after a long break – with two major changes: Zac Arnold joining on bass guitar, and me moving from an overly elaborate keyboard setup to an electric guitar with as few pedals as possible. When starting Wax Chattels, I felt that if I kept the instrumentation simple it would force the band to push the songs further – make the structures and arrangements more interesting – rather than getting trapped in the tone-zone. I think this had the same effect on And It Wants, where I found we were really digging in – creating intensity through repetition – and where David in particular really stretches out on the drum kit. Zac’s inclusion in the group has had a significant impact on the group as a whole, much in the same way Hariet Ellis impacted Godzone. The way Zac plays bass isn’t like anyone else – he creates walls of noise, which we embraced wholeheartedly on this new record, and his wealth of music knowledge provided great context and guidance as we were in the writing stages.”
Thematically, And It Wants sees Ruddell clinging to optimism and joy while being subject to the existential nihilism of our current hypernormal, western reality. “Death is all through this record. The songs were born out of the feeling that there are no rules, that nothing matters, and that we all die. The intent is to provide a sonic backdrop to dance ecstatically, liberated, as the world around you burns. Find comfort and joy in things while you can, even as the end draws near and darkness begins to ruminate.”
And It Wants was recorded at West Fried Sound by Emily Wheatcroft-Snape, with additional recording at Sulfate Studios by Peter Ruddell. Mixed by Ruddell, the album was then mastered by Mikey Young (Eddy Current Suppression Ring, Total Control). Since recording, Sulfate’s line up has expanded once more, introducing multi-instrumentalist Louisa Nicklin to the band’s inexorable live performances.
And It Wants is out digitally, and on two exclusive vinyl variants via Flying Nun Records and Holiday Records on October 23rd.
SULFATE TOUR DATES
Friday October 23 @ The Crown Hotel, Dunedin
Saturday October 24 @ Threes & Sevens Records, Invercargill
Sunday October 25 @ Space Academy, Christchurch
Friday November 6 @ Goblin, Auckland
Friday November 13 @ Meow, Wellington
Saturday November 14 @ Porridge Watson, Whanganui
Tickets from undertheradar.co.nz and meow.nz
Photo Credit: Zoë Dunster
